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Forfar churches concerned by cool response to heat hub helping hand

Forfar's Lowson Church lunch club is always busy but the kirk's heat hub initiative is struggling to attract locals. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson
Forfar's Lowson Church lunch club is always busy but the kirk's heat hub initiative is struggling to attract locals. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson

Forfar churches opening their doors as a daily heat hub for all ages in town say they are surprised there hasn’t been a bigger response to the initiative.

Communities across the country have set up so-called warm banks to help folk struggling through the cost-of-living crisis.

They are aimed at giving people a place to go to enjoy warmth – and a bit of company.

Lowson church lunch club
Volunteer Marysia Rusk helping out at the weekly Lowson lunch club. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson

In Forfar, it means two of the big churches are available for people to drop-in to all day every day during the week.

The East and Old heat hub runs every weekday morning from 9.30am to 12.30pm.

And then the Lowson Church hall opens its hall from 12.30 to 3.30pm.

Low uptake

Yet three weeks’ into the joint initiative, kirk volunteers say the numbers across the door have been low.

So they have reinforced the ‘use it or lose it’ message to every part of the community.

Lowson elder Rhona Nicol said: “It could be a pride thing, or maybe people haven’t had a big heating bill yet.

“And the weather has been quite mild up to now.

“But the numbers have been quite low.

Lowson church heat hub
Lowson volunteers Morag Wood and Marysia Rusk. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson

“It’s a shame because people can come along for as long or as little time as they want.

“And it is not just for the elderly.

“We want to see all ages, so families who are struggling with heating bills should also know we are here.”

Word of mouth

Rhona says it’s also not for lack of trying to get the message across.

“We put thousands of leaflets through doors,” she added.

“Our recent craft event was very busy and we told as many people as we could there.

“We’re hoping that if one or two more come along then it will encourage others.

“Maybe once people are cosied up in their own house they decide they won’t bother coming out.

“But we have the heating on, we’ve a big TV, games and they can have a cup of coffee so it seems such a shame more people are not taking it up.

“I really hope the numbers increase because we wouldn’t like it to become a use it or lose it situation.

“If a few more people come then the numbers might increase through word of mouth.”

Lunch club popularity

Fellow elder Marysia Rusk says the low numbers are also a surprise given the success of the Lowson’s weekly lunch club.

The Thursday gathering often sees upwards of 70 folk coming along for soup and a blether.

“I don’t know if it’s people just not wanting to take the first step, but I hope we can see more.

Forfar Lowson Church lunch club
Coffee, chat and a smile at the Lowson. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson

“We had one single mum come along because her heating had broken down, but people shouldn’t wait for a situation like that to make use of the heat hubs.

“Maybe we’ll see more people when the weather gets colder.

“And energy deals are changing for a lot of people in January so that might make a difference.”

Conversation